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'Write Attitude' gives students right stuff
By LOGAN NEILL As long time fourth grade teachers at Pine Grove Elementary, Bonnie Tyree and Cheryl Vest have witnessed the anxiety and anguish that a composition assignment often brings. So this year, the teachers decided it was time to try something different with their students, something that might help break the notion that writing is laborious and unenjoyable. "We felt that if we could help change their attitude about writing, it might make it seem like less of a chore," said Tyree. "If you can convince them that writing can actually be fun, they become more comfortable with it. All of which prompted Tyree and Vest to introduce an initiative they call the "Write Attitude," a project aimed at encouraging imagination and creativity, and most of all, a love for writing. "They are at an age where good writing skills are going to be more and more important in their school work," said Tyree. "What we wanted to do was to get them a little more excited about writing and show them that, with a little work, they can have those good skills too."
With a small grant from the Hernando Education Foundation, they had red T-shirts printed with the "Write Attitude" logo emblazoned on the front. In addition, the teachers began setting aside regular class time for special expository writing exercises that they hoped would foster an interest in good writing habits. Each day, students gather in groups for special writing assignments designed to be more recreational than typical classroom work. "There aren't a whole lot of rules concerning what they write," said Tyree. "That's what keeps it fun for them." On a recent morning, Tyree had her students engaged in an activity that has become their favorite writing adventure. After briefly holding up a small box of breakfast cereal, she gave her students 10 minutes to compose a short story about it. The stories ranged from wild encounters with space aliens to tales of magic and adventure. Tyree was impressed by her students' abilities to develop themes, by their vocabulary usage and especially by their attention to detail. "The power of the pencil can be pretty awesome," she told them. Nine-year-old Brandi Bulduc couldn't agree more. She is amazed by what she has learned during the past few months. "It's fun because what you write sort of says who you are," she said. "I never really liked writing before, but it's pretty cool." Classmate Jacob Adams says he too has come to appreciate the craft of writing. "Writing is about using your imagination," he said. "It's neat to hear some of the stories that kids come up with." Tyree believes that while most children possess the ability to write well, many worry about criticism. She hopes that the "Write Attitude" initiative will help bolster students' confidence, especially when they take the FCAT Florida Writes exam in March. "What they're doing now is a good training for thinking on their feet," said Tyree. "Hopefully, when FCAT comes around, it'll just be a regular writing assignment to them."
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